


Alter Ego

by out_of_nowhere



Series: Tumblr fic giveaway [4]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Human Trafficking, M/M, Superhero Rhett, Well it's referenced
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:54:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26011468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/out_of_nowhere/pseuds/out_of_nowhere
Summary: The city has a masked crusader that is causing Link all kinds of grief. Imagine his surprise when the man he's dating, and falling in love with, turns out to be one and the same man.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Series: Tumblr fic giveaway [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1742398
Comments: 10
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sassandpanache](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassandpanache/gifts).



> Sassandpanache won this as part of my birthday giveaway...last month. Life has been crazy and it could be another month before I finish it, so thought I'd throw the opening teaser out there.
> 
> As always, beta'd by @criminalmind1927

Link threw his pen down against his desk.  _ Damn that  _ _Masked Mack_ _ , _ he thought, barely keeping a cap on his anger. He didn't understand  _ why _ the city had decided to allow his shenanigans to continue instead of trying to get a handle on the masked vigilante. Sure, he had a higher 'arrest' rate than the city's regular police force, but he also cost the city a good deal more per arrest.

And the collateral damage… The reason Link was working late tonight. The last altercation this Mack character had caused damage to a dozen people's personal property and put three of those people in the hospital. Sure, he had caught a murderer, but Link was pretty sure that almost killing more people kinda negated some of the 'good work' he was doing. 

With a sigh, Link ran his hand through his hair, giving his scalp a little scratch. At least he had a date to look forward to tonight. Rhett was amazing. He was a petroleum engineer. Smart, interesting, smoking hot, and an excellent kisser. 

Link had no clue what interest he had in a city financial manager. But tonight would be their fifth date and Link was definitely hoping that things might be taken to the next level after dinner. 

Deciding that the rest of his paperwork could wait for the next day, Link picked his pen up off the floor from where it landed when he had thrown it and straightened up his desk, eager to get home and ready for his date.

◇◇◇◇

Watching Rhett stride toward him filled Link's stomach with butterflies. Rhett's hair was flowing loose over his shoulders, the setting sun catching flecks of blonde and red, giving it a shimmering quality. Link's heart gave a little flutter when Rhett reached his side and leaned down to kiss his cheek. The man had him feeling like a lovesick teenager again, and frankly, Link loved it. 

That feeling lasted through dinner as Rhett talked about the books he was reading, the book he wanted to one day write, and exchanged music recommendations. Even though it had only been a couple weeks and a handful of dates, Link knew he was falling hard for the tall, handsome man. 

After dinner, instead of turning toward the parking lot, Rhett placed his large hand on the small of Link's back and guided him toward the docks. Link was usually indifferent to living in a seaside town, but tonight he couldn't picture anything more perfect than being able to hear water lapping at the docks, the smell of salt in the air, and the warmth of Rhett along his side. 

They continued their light chatter as they walked, eventually ending up in the more industrial side of the bay. Suddenly, Rhett grabbed Link's wrist, causing him to stop in confusion. "Rhett, what-" Rhett's finger came up to silence Link and that's when he noticed that Rhett was trying to listen to something. 

The anger in the voices was easy to pick up on, but Link had to strain to hear the individual words. What he heard gave him cause for alarm. 

"Where's your brother, Bob?" an unidentified voice whisper yelled. "He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago! The girls are getting restless. They're tired and hungry after the long boat ride, but it's not  _ my _ job to take care of them. Your brother was supposed to be here to be to run logistics and get these girls to their new owners."

_ Owners?  _ Link wondered, turning wide, concerned eyes to Rhett. Rhett looked concerned, a little nervous, but also incredibly stoic. "I think we might need to call the police," Link whispered so hopefully only Rhett could hear him. 

Shaking his head, Rhett whispered back, "No time. We need to find those girls  _ now. _ Before this 'brother' shows up and moves them."

Link looked at Rhett in disbelief.  _ "We _ need to find them??" Link asked, still whispering, but his tone had taken on a panicked edge. "Rhett, you're an engineer. And I'm a glorified accountant!" 

"About that…" Rhett pulled his hair back into a ponytail and started loosening his tie.

If Link thought that Rhett suggesting that  _ they  _ rescue the girls being held was startling, watching him strip out of his suit and reveal his Masked Mack outfit left Link completely flabbergasted. The man he was falling in love with was also the man currently causing him the most grief in his life? 

Link couldn't help but watch how the tight black material clung to Rhett's arms and thighs as he shot him a quick look with green eyes that matched his tight leather jerkin, gave him a peck on the lips and whispered into his ear, "Stay hidden, darling. I won't be long. Call the police and tell them which direction I went, but don't follow. I'll meet you back at your apartment as soon as I can."

All Link could do was nod at Rhett's retreating back, then pulled out his phone to make the call he had been instructed to make. 

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

It was early dawn when Rhett slipped into Link's apartment. The trafficking ring had been, at least temporarily, shut down, arrests had been made, and the girls were in protective care until families could be located. It had been a long night and Rhett was exhausted, but he knew that he needed to handle things with Link before getting some shut eye. He really liked Link and didn't want to screw that up. 

Link was sitting upright on his couch, head fallen back and mouth gaping, having obviously fallen asleep while waiting for Rhett to return. Rhett smiled fondly at the sight, leaving him to rest while he went to the kitchen to see about making coffee. He sighed in relief when he spotted the coffee machine on the counter and a half full bag of grinds sitting beside it. Rhett needed coffee, and suspected Link would need it too, but he hadn't really wanted to go searching through Link's cabinets to make it happen. 

Coffee beginning to drip, Rhett did have to poke around a bit to find coffee mugs. For some reason, they were all the way across the kitchen and not above the coffee maker like Rhett would have expected. 

"Do you always go scrounging around in unsuspecting people's kitchens in the early mornings?" a sleepy voice asked from the doorway.

Rhett turned and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I thought we both might want some coffee for the conversation I'm sure you're going to want to have."

Link hummed thoughtfully. "Give me the blue mug. You can use any of the others but the one with the bulldog on it."

Grabbing Link's mug, and another random one for himself, Rhett poured their coffee and ushered Link back to the couch. "So I'm assuming you have questions?" Rhett asked as they settled in.

"Last night I had a ton of questions," Link confirmed. "Now that I've slept on this information, I just need to know… Can you at least  _ try _ not to make my job so difficult? It's gonna be really hard to compartmentalize the fact that it's my boyfriend causing me hours of paperwork during the day, then come home and be loving to the same person who gave me my headache to begin with." 

"At least I'm making sure you have a job?" Rhett asked, chuckling nervously. "I can try, though. I promised," he continued when Link rolled his eyes and gave him an exasperated smile. "But is that it? That's your only concern? You're work and home life clashing?"

Link shrugged. "The paperwork you caused me was the only reason I disliked Masked Mack before. Knowing the person behind the mask is the same guy I've been falling for is...surprising, but doesn't make the paperwork less annoying."

"Fair point," Rhett said with a laugh. 

"I'll worry more when I don't know where you're at," Link continued, "now that I know what you get up to in your free time. Probably worry sometimes even when I  _ do _ know what you're up to, honestly. The things that come across my desk that I've seen you've been involved in? Some of it is a bit unsettling."

Rhett slid closer to Link and put an arm around his shoulders. "Maybe there's something I can do to help relieve your stress. If you want to continue this relationship..?"

Link's face showed confusion as he looked up at Rhett. "Why wouldn't I? Who doesn't want to be able to say they're dating a superhero?"

"You do realize that you can't actually tell people who I am?" Rhett asked, a little alarmed.

"Details, details," Link said, waving his hand dismissively then smiled. "I'll know, though. That's still pretty cool."

Rhett chuckled. "Okay then. So that's it? Now you know and you're cool with everything?"

"Seems like." Link eyed his Masked Mack outfit. "I might have some sweats that will fit. Cuz I don't know about you, but I had a long night and want to get horizontal in a bed for a while."

"Why Link Neal, how forward of you."

Link rolled his eyes before leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss on his lips then giving him a fond grin. "Yeah, yeah. Come on superboy. Your boyfriend needs some sleep."

Rhett took Link's outstretched hand and followed him toward the bedroom. Nothing about the last 24 hours had gone as expected, and Rhett couldn't be happier about that. And later, they were going to celebrate. But for now? For now he needed to go get horizontal in bed with his boyfriend. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I said when I posted chapter one that this would be three parts, but now that I've written part two, this seems like a natural place to end, considering the prompt I was given. Hopefully @sass-and-panache finds the ending satisfying. 😬


End file.
